Melrose Plaza to Honor Influential Roanokers
Input invited on honorees for History Wall
Roanoke, Va. (Oct. 1, 2024)—Melrose Plaza seeks to honor historical figures, people, places, and landmarks integral to Northwest Roanoke’s history through a history wall that will be a key feature at the community hub. Locals are asked to provide their input on the current list of Melrose Plaza History Wall nominees.
The History Wall is one way that Melrose Plaza seeks to reflect the local community by forever memorializing Roanoke’s history makers. Current nominees include Roanoke’s civil rights leaders, artists, scientists, community activists, and philanthropists, such as Dr. John B. Claytor, Dr. Beth Brown, William Dabney, Henrietta Lacks, Noel C. Taylor, Oliver White Hill and more.
The installation is planned to open in the Spring of 2025, after the opening of the Market on Melrose in November. This History Wall will be an anchor in the center of the Plaza. A Living Legends exhibit and a Hidden in Plain Site virtual reality exhibit will also be featured at Melrose Plaza. Combined, these features aim to tell the story of history-makers and overlooked locations that represent the expansive local history in Roanoke.
Residents can provide feedback on current nominees or submit names for consideration by visiting melroseplazaroanoke.com. Feedback will be accepted until November 1, 2024.
For more information, visit melroseplazaroanoke.com/history-wall.